


Blame the Heart

by AloneShadow



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Comfort/Angst, I actually like her, Panic, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Scared Tony, Tony Feels, badass maria hill, cute feels, even if kind of derp this time, guilty feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 02:37:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8186102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AloneShadow/pseuds/AloneShadow
Summary: Tony is trying to be part of the team... *Tony flips tables*





	

**Author's Note:**

> My laptop is full of angst...again.  
> Anyway, I think I can say that this one is a bit AU too, because i put Maria Hill like new Director of SHIELD... I think she got the role at some points, in the comics... or maybe I am wrong. Well, I decided to promote her anyway. 
> 
> English still not perfect, so sorry about that. If someone is up to help me beta-ing this fic, I have any virtual food you want ready to be delivered~

Tony wasn’t the kind of man who liked to think too much about something. He never liked to waste time in strategy, because _that_ was probably the main problem: gave him some computer to hack, something to break and re-built, or just something to fix and he could actually stop and focus on it at least for a moment, but strategy? Strategy wasn’t his thing, easy as that. The others of his team were much better than him at it, so he was just free to do what he thought was the best thing to do and most of the time he was right.

Except that time. That damn one stupid, terrible and wrong time. 

Was just another crazy guy gone wild with some experiment; not aliens, not semi gods fighting in the sky, not a rebellious robot that wanted to create an army for exterminate all the human race, no… this was just a stupid kid having fun in a laboratory in an oh-so-famous scientific industry’s building. However, the said building wasn’t important, the society wasn’t important and sure as hell the guy himself wasn’t either.

What was actually important was that Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Scarlet Witch were inside the not-important building, a building of at least ten floors, and Iron Man was flying outside, trying to keep eyes on everything and everyone. 

Another thing actually important was that he should be inside with them, but the mighty Captain gently screamed at him to _“Stay outside and let Wanda come in, I need her!”_ and for that reason, still wondering why Steve needed specifically Scarlet Witch to help them, he obeyed, flying around the building, keeping track of the crazy guy that was running to the top floor. 

Tony was hearing the others updates and comments on the situation on their com and everything was kind of under control: most of the people had left the building already and the area around was starting to be clear. Even the SHIELD’s agents were just following the action without pointing out what was better to do and what not because, you know, Avengers knows their job enough and that guy wasn’t a treat, not at all. Then suddenly everything changed and if someone was able to fuck up a situation in a second, Tony Stark was sure the right person for the job. 

Suddenly there was only static through all their communicators: no Clint’s ironic comments, no more orders from the Captain, nothing, just static for, he will know later, three entire minutes. Three minutes that Tony hardly will forget anytime soon. 

First, he saw all his suit start to lose control, FRIDAY’s voice come and go and all the screens jumped from black to light again. Tony was starting to fly off balanced and when he looked up, he understood the reason: Wanda was flying down from a window, using her powers to slow down the fall, but she was hurt at the head, blood sliding on her face, the long brown hair flying everywhere. 

Tony tried to fly to her and let her land on his back while the suit’s alarm keep ringing, “Please retreat your shadows, Sauron on a skirt, if you don’t want to see us both crashing down there.” He said staring worried at the streets below. 

Wanda close her hand into tight fist and the red shadows slowly disappeared, “Take me back up there, we have to-“ 

A loud crash covered the rest and they both looked up: a giant metal safe was almost falling down. 

“What’s that?” Asked Tony flying up while the suit was back online. 

“We have to stop it.” Wanda kept an arm around Iron Man’s neck and stretched the other, pointing her hand against the box, but she shivered and murmured angrily. 

“You can’t do it?” Asked Tony, and then saw the safe started to fall down. 

On the com, they herd something, pieces of voice and then the Captain himself screaming “-have to! Destroy the safe!” 

Tony blinked and rise both hands against it. 

“Wait!” Wanda tried to stop him but the missiles were shoot and the safe was destroyed in a surprisingly big explosion that forced Iron Man to fly away to avoid the fire and the pieces of metal and glass: all that side of the building was destroyed. 

They both stared at it and Tony asked, “What the hell was inside that thing?” still surprised. 

“Explosives…” Wanda slowly said, keeping a tight grip around his neck, “But the others were still there.” 

Tony's head turned a bit, “What?” 

“Clint, Steve and Natasha… they were trying to defuse it.” 

Tony looked back at the building and flew against it at full speed. 

Three minutes. Three minutes were enough to send everything to hell. Just three minutes and a too much fast-thinking genius in an armor, for once ready to respect an order, to accidentally kill all his team. 

.-.-.-.-.-. 

After those three minutes and other two hours, Tony was in the Director’s Hill office, in shirt and sweat pants, still the com around the head, staring at the city outside, then at the TV where he could see all the mess that happened: half of the building destroyed, firefighter still at work, searching for survivors under the ruins. He breathed deeply before the door opened. 

Maria Hill, new Director of the SHIELD closed the door behind her and stared at him for a moment, then moved to the desk, leaving some papers on it, more like trying to order her thought than the documents. 

Tony stared at her elegant black dress for a moment, until he couldn’t take it anymore, “How’s the others?” and immediately regret it because her gaze was furious. 

“Stark, I really don’t know what to say.” 

He felt a shiver of fear long the spine. 

“I wish I could say that I’m not surprised of all this, but the explosion? That was something that none of us needed.” 

Tony took a breath: if she was mad at him, then the others were fine. If they weren’t, he probably would be dead already.

“Stark.” Maria called angrily and he run back to focus on her, “Have you any idea of what have you done today?” 

“Ok, first of all, I didn’t knew that that safe was a bomb. Second, it was a-“ 

“I can’t care less of what you knew or not.” She interrupt, “You blow up something that could be a nuclear bomb, from what WE knew. It could be everything and you just shot your missiles at it. We’re lucky enough that the building is still standing!” 

“I couldn’t detect what-“ 

“So if you don’t know what it is, you just shot at it?” 

“That’s more like Clint work, I was just-“

“You just put civilian’s life in danger. You have any idea of how many were hurt from the explosion? How many deaths?” 

“Twelve hurts, three deaths.” 

“For now.” 

They stared at each other for a moment, but Tony knew he was failing at trying to score points at his favor. “Ok, fine, I should’ve waited and let that thing fall down, I don’t know, we’ll never know, but I know that I had Wanda with me, I couldn’t just throw her away to- tell me, to do what, exactly?” 

“So we hired Iron Man and Scarlet Witch just to be able to destroy things?” 

“She tried to do something, but she couldn’t, Wanda was hurt. If you want to be mad at her too and have a chat with the witch for being hurt, please, go try. I’d like to see what she’ll say.” 

“I’m not angry at her for being hurt, Stark, I’m angry at you for always do everything the way you want and put other’s life at risk.” 

Oh, if those weren’t the words that most could freeze him on the spot… 

Maria probably noticed his hesitation, because she lowered her voice, sounding now more cold than angry, “Agent Barton and Agent Romanov are in hospital, under surgery while we spoke. He almost risked losing a leg and Natasha was lucky enough to not be splattered under a wall.” 

Tony felt his breath stop for a moment, imaging the scene, even if he tried hard not to. “What about Steve?” 

“He’s still missing.” 

And that was just what he needed to hear. The fucking cherry on top of all this madness. “What do you mean _still missing_? He was there, he has to be there.” 

“Our agents are searching for him. He probably got stuck under the ruins when the whole damn floor collapse under them.” 

“Let me go.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“I can help them, I can-“ 

“You’re suspended at the moment.” 

Tony blinked, “What?” 

“You weren’t listening when I said that you almost killed half of the team?” 

“It wasn’t on purpose! Hill, c’mon, I was trying to help! Steve said to shoot and I did. For once, for ONCE I just did as he asked and of course they all almost got killed because of it… how could I known?” 

Maria stared at him intently, “Steve said what?” 

“He said to shoot at the safe. Well, he said to destroy it, so I did what I could.” He saw her still staring at him, “Missiles were the easy and fastest way. The safe would probably exploded anyway.” 

“He didn’t give any order.” 

Now was Tony to stare at her in silence. 

Maria breathed deeply, sitting at the desk, “We were listening the communications. We didn’t hear Captain Rogers ordering you to destroy it.” 

Tony blinked again and almost laughed, “Are you kidding, right? Please, tell me are you kidding.” 

“Clint and Natasha almost died, Stark. It sound like a joke to you?” 

_Is everything a joke to you?_

Tony shook his head, “’Course not, but I was-“ 

“You’re lucky that I don’t arrest you now on the spot.” 

“Steve gave me the order to shoot, I’m not lying.” 

“Then why we didn’t hear him?” 

“I don’t know! Maybe because the witch’s dark magic was blocking my com? Or maybe because your people are deaf, that’s up to you to find out.” 

Maria Hill stand again, this time don’t even bothering to hide the anger, “I’m not Fury, Stark. I won’t let something like this go like he always used to do.”

“So what, you really think I was trying to kill them?” 

“I think that you never bother to think about the consequences of your actions, but now you will, I can assure you that.” She checked something on her phone, “You’ll stay here in custody for now. I don’t want to see you flying around: you will stay here until the situation will be clear.” 

“It was just an accident! Ask the others- ask Wanda! Where is she?” 

“She wanted to stay with Clint at the hospital after they took care of her.” The Director said while walking to the door. 

“And?” 

“And she said that you just shot. She haven’t heard anything from Captain Rogers.” 

“My God, this is ridiculous…” 

“Let me say this clearly,” Maria stopped at the door and turn to face him with a freezing glare, “because I think you still don’t want to understand: if one of them dies in the next days, it will be on you, got it? If I lose three of the best agents I have, you will face the consequences. And I’ll be sure that you’ll pay everything for it.” And she opened the door.

“Let me help to find Steve.” Insisted Tony, hand on the door, “I’ll face all you want, but arresting me now won’t help anyone.” 

Maria stared at him, face hard and cold, “Someone will come here and take you downstairs. Have a nice time while you still can.” That said, she opened the door again and left. 

Tony stared at the door left open and the agents that was waiting for him outside: he was used to the mess that his life was, he was a gigantic mess himself, but if he really imagined Steve’s voice… he really almost killed everyone all by himself. And hell if that wasn’t a new level of messiness even for someone like him. 

 

That night was probably the most difficult that Tony Stark had in a long time: he wasn’t used to being locked somewhere; it had happened a few times, but he just couldn’t relax in this kind of situation. Even if he knew that this was just a half empty room in the SHIELD building, in which he should’ve stayed until someone would come to tell him that everything was fine and he was free to go. Or, on the contrary, that half of the Avengers were dead and he would’ve been locked in some real, cold prison somewhere around the world and never found again. 

Tony stopped walking back and forth after some hours and just sat on the little bed, staring at the wall, tapping his fingers on his chest: the reactor was gone long time ago, but some habits are hard to lose. 

He looked up and stand, surprised, when the door finally opened. 

Vision stared at him with a very light smile, “We have to go. This way.” He said before left the door ajar. 

Tony obeyed and once outside, he saw the agents outside the room with a red aura around their head, eyes lost somewhere in the nowhere. 

“A little trick I learn from Wanda.” Said Vision, “Close the door, please. They will know you are not here anymore pretty soon.” 

“Are you trying to kill me or something?” Said Tony when they were outside. The sun was starting to rise over the clouds. 

“Why should I? Wanda asked me to take you to the hospital.” He stopped next to a black car and noticed the guilty look Tony had on his face. He nodded slowly, “They are fine. Clint and Agent Romanov are not in danger anymore. They are still in coma, though.” 

Tony forced himself to breathe, nodding. “That’s… that’s good. What about-” 

A siren started ringing into the building behind them. 

“We’ll talk later.” Said Vision, entering in the car and they left the parking. 

 

Tony couldn’t relax all the way to the hospital, keep looking behind them, waiting for some helicopter to appear flying over them ready to stop them in any way possible… but nothing happened and they reached the hospital safe and alive in the morning light. 

“Maria Hill is not here?” asked Tony, following him inside and on the stairs. 

“Wanda said she already left. I asked Director Hill about you yesterday, and she just told me you were under arrest and not allowed to leave the HQ.”

“Come to free me was pretty risky, don’t you think?” 

“I’m not used to leave you in dangerous situation. It’s kind of like- like a habit, I guess.” 

Tony looked at him for a moment, surprise to see a little smile in his face, “Thanks.” 

“I believe that wasn’t your plan to kill the Avengers. Not even Wanda think that that was your intention.” 

“It wasn’t. Hey, J- Vision.” Tony grab his arm, “You didn’t hear him? Steve?” 

He tilt his head a bit, “I don’t think I understand?” 

“Before I shoot that safe, before the explosion, Steve talked to me, he said to shoot. You didn’t hear him?” 

Vision looked at him, thinking, the gem in his forehead shining on the red skin, “I don’t. But I’ll check the records while we are here.” 

Tony nodded slowly, letting him go, “He told me to. I can’t have just imagined his voice. It can’t be.” 

“I’m sure we’ll find an explanation for all of this.” Vision opened a door and looked in the corridor before lead the way again, until he stops in front of a door with a big glass window. 

Tony stopped next to him and hold his breath for a moment: Clint was laying in the hospital bed, an oxygen mask on his face, eyes close while the low beeping from the machine next to him keep remind them that he was alive. Wanda was sitting at his feet, legs under her body… and a plaster on her forehead, he notice it when she turn around. 

She was still wearing the clothes of the battle, the red short dress covered partly in dust. “Thank you, Vision.” She said with a little smile. 

He nodded and left the room.

Tony stepped closer, staring at Clint, “How’s he?” 

“Better. He won’t die so easily.”

“I know… but he'll complain a lot.” 

Wanda smiled a bit then looked better at him before speak, “Hill told me you’re under arrest-” 

“I know. Don’t worry.” 

“But I am. You should be as well. Clint and Natasha are fine now, but they’ll need to recover and Steve is missing.” 

“They didn’t find him yet?” 

Wand shook her head. 

Tony looked into her eyes and make some steps into the room, “Come on, they can’t really arrest me or- or sue me. It was just a mistake. A very terrible mistake but I just-“

“That’s what I told them.” 

Tony looked a bit surprised, “Really?” 

“Are you trying to make me angry?” asked Wanda and her voice was nervous. Almost offended. 

“You’re the last person I want to make angry, trust me.” He said quickly, raising his hands, “But I thought that you were on Hill side.” 

She breathed slowly, “I don’t have a side. And sure not Maria Hill's.”

“So you don’t blame me for what happened to them?” 

“I know you didn’t want to hurt them. I still don’t know why you shot that thing, but no one was expecting that kind of power… was a mistake from all of us.”

“You didn’t hear him? Steve?” 

“What about him?” 

“I heard him say to shot at that safe.” Tony felt the anger creep in his own voice, “I heard him, that’s why I shoot. He told me to.” 

Wanda stared at him then shook her head, “I didn’t heard anything, I’m sorry. But that could explain your actions.” 

“Not if we don’t find him.” They stared at each other for a moment and then Tony asked, “They really want my head on a plate, isn’t it?” 

“Hill want to blame someone. When something bad happens, there’s always need to blame someone. That’s how it works, right?” Wanda’s face was serious, then she blinked some times and said, “Someone is coming. I’ll stay here, I can try to slow them down. You need to find Steve.” 

Tony nodded, “I will. Thanks...” He walked back to the door, then look back, curious, “If I may ask, how you can slow them down?” 

Wanda smiled and with slowly movements of her hand she create a shadow that become like a clone of Tony. “I’ll keep him around here.” 

“Oh. That’s… that’s cute.” Tony looked unsure at the smoking clone, “I’m taller than that, by the way.” He said, leaving the room while Wanda smiled a bit before look back at Clint and breathe slowly, gently grabbing his hand. 

Vision looked back at the corridor when he heard a door closing, “I’ve found something. A record about thirty seconds before the explosion.” He said, handing a phone.

Tony took it and pressed start: “ _We have to-”_ Natasha’s voice, _“There’s no time. You heard him: if this thing fall down-“_

 _“Tony and Wanda can handle it.”_ Steve. 

_“No, they can’t!”_

_“We don’t even know where they are.”_ Clint.

 _“I’m sure they’re both fine. We have to- watch out!”_ Steve voice was cover from something crashing and a high screech before the audio stopped. 

“It was probably before he told me to shoot…” Tony looked up and notice Vision’s stare, “He said that. He said to shoot, he order me to shoot and for once I did what he wanted me to do. Damn it Rogers and his manly military voice, I swear I won’t obey to him anymore in my life.” And he nervously handed back the device. 

“I’m sure Captain Rogers will help clear the situation.” Said Vision, “You want me to come with you and help find him?”

“How did you- never mind. No. No, I’ll go alone. Wanda will try to keep SHIELD’s attention around here, so… maybe is better if you stay here with her.”

“You should be still in custody. Try not to catch any attention.” 

“I’ll try, but no promises.” Tony sighed and walked away, disappearing through the door they came from. He stopped there, back against the cold metal: he took a deep breath and checked something on his phone, “Ok… let’s see where he’s hiding.” 

 

When he reached the place, he saw that most the streets around the building were close to civilians, while firefighter and police were still around, like some agents of the SHIELD.

Tony push down the hoodie even more on his head and looked around, walking just outside the yellow line, watching the remains of the building on the floor, then up, at the destroyed side of the building, still smoking. 

“What a mess…” Commented a woman, hands buried into the black, short leather jacket. 

Tony stared at her long black hair, a curl sliding out of the gray scarf. Her skin was so pale, yet she looked beautiful, a dark beauty, with big and soft lips that didn’t seem to smile too often. “Yeah… they still found someone in there?” 

“No idea. They stopped calling for people in there.” She said, walking away. 

Tony swallowed down the fear and walked to one of the ambulance where he saw and heard a man screaming at the phone. 

“No, it seems to be all for now… yeah, we got the last one, hope he’s gonna make it. Sure, I’ll try to-” 

“Excuse me,” Tony bend over the fence to speak to him, “A friend of mine was here- in the building. The last one you talked about… blonde hair, blue eyes? In a strange suit and polite like an old man?” 

The man stared at him for a moment, frowning, and then said, “We found a man one hour ago, black hair. Sorry.” He saw Tony sigh and look down, so he added, “All the people hurt in the explosion were taken to the Sacred Heart Hospital. You should ask there about your friend.” 

Tony nodded a thanks and left, grabbing his own phone. 

“You better tell me where are you, Stark.” Said Maria Hill and her voice was on the edge of screaming.

“Searching for Steve. Did you find him?” 

“Tony, I swear…” 

“I’m worried about him too! Just tell me if you find him or not.” 

A pause, then “No. My agents are still at the building site, but they didn’t find him.” 

“Are you sure he’s not-“ 

“I want you back at SHIELD HQ right now. I’m not joking.” 

“Me either.” Tony closed the call and called a taxi to reach the hospital. 

 

Once he arrived there, he didn’t find the chaos he was expecting… or at least not in the first floors. A nurse sent him at the fourth floor saying that all the injured people from the accident in the city building were there but no, she didn’t knew if a blonde, tall, soldierish guy was there as well. 

Tony got there running through the stairs and found still doctors and nurses running in the blue corridors, from a room to another. He put down the hoodie and the glasses, searching, checking on the rooms from outside, but no blonde guys appeared. 

“You need help?” asked a doctor to him, a tall woman with red short hair. 

“No- I mean yes, I’m searching for a friend… they told me he could be here.”

“He was in the accident? The explosion?”

“Yeah. Blonde guy, tall, in some kind of military suit…”

She thought for a moment, then nodded, “I saw a blonde man in room 33 but-“ 

“Thanks.” 

“Wait, you can’t just- hey!” 

Tony walked quickly, watching every room’s number he saw, until he stopped at the 33 and took a step inside: both the two bed in there were empty, but one was messy and another nurse was collecting the sheets stained of red. Tony look at the confused nurse, then turn back at the doctor that had followed him, “Where is he? He was here?” 

“He was. I was trying to tell you…” She said, eyes now tense, put she tried to stay professional, “He was wounded, we tried to-”

Tony looked away, stop listening after that _we tried_ and then walked out: no, it couldn’t be. Was impossible, it should be a mistake, yeah, that. It could be only a mistake, a terrible mistake. A mistake from the very beginning.

“Sir, are you ok?” The doctor asked. 

She was close, but Tony hear the voice and the noises like he was underwater: the sad smile on Wanda’s lips, Clint in that horrible bed, Natasha almost dead… and Maria Hill ready to make him pay for it, for everything. For killed Captain America would be probably the main reason. 

Steve was dead. He didn’t order him anything… he shouldn’t have shot that stupid, fucking safe.

He was probably really going insane. 

Suddenly something splashed over his face and Tony almost yelled, scared, flinching on a bed he didn’t even remember being sat on. He passed his hands on his wet face and blinked a few times before looking up. 

Steve sighed in relief, “Sorry, but your spacing out was creeping me out.” He said, placing the now empty glass on the close bedside table. He had a plaster on his forehead, the Captain America’s suit still stained with dirt, a bit burnt, and a hand covered in another bandage as well. 

Tony looked at him in silence, water dripping from his face. 

“He’s alright?” asked the doctor. 

“Yeah… I think.” Steve frowned a bit at him, then turn to look at her, “Can you give us a moment?” 

She nodded and slowly left the room, closing the door. 

Steve looked back at the inventor that was still staring at him. “You’re ok, right? Why you’re here?” 

Tony tried to talk, he really tried, but his mouth refused to move. He heard him, saw him, just his voice was apparently stuck.

Steve was starting to get worried, then someone knocked at the door and when the Captain turned the handle, the door smashed open and at least ten agents of the SHIELD rushed in, leaving the poor Captain stuck behind it. 

“Tony Stark, you have to come with us.” Said one of them, “Now. Director Hill give us the order to take you back at the HQ.” 

And Tony just stared at them as well. 

The agent shook his head, “Get him.” He said and others move to obey. 

Steve managed to move ahead and stop them, grabbing one agent’s shoulder, “He stay here.” 

“Captain Rogers?” The one in charge took some steps against him, “We were searching for you everywhere. How- when did you come here?” 

“I was injured, they took me here.” He simply said, standing in front of Tony, looking at them, “I would like to talk with the Director, if you don’t mind.” He stared at all of them froze in place, so he added “Now?” and they all start to move. Steve sighed, then turned to Tony with a resigned expression, “What have you done this time?” 

“Sir.” An agent came back and handed a cell phone to him. 

Steve looked at the screen for a second before answer, “Director. Yes, I am fine, I- no, they treated me already… Sacred Heart Hospital, ma’am.” He huffed a laugh, “I was trying to, but they-” he looked at Tony, “Yes, he’s here.” Moment of silence, then the sudden serious and strong “What?” made Tony flinch, but at least he looked up at the Captain. “Of course not. No, why you- are you insane?” he shook his head, “I DID. We didn’t know that-” He shook his head again, “No, I’m not, not now. We’ll be back in one hour... Because I’m asking.” Steve nodded and close the call, handing back the phone to the agent, “You all can go.” 

The agent nodded and left the room. 

Steve passed a hand over his eyes, then looked at Tony, still sitting on the bed. “They really thought that you could make a mistake like that?” he asked but the other still didn’t speak, looking down again, so he sat on the bed in front on him, “Tony, no one knew that that thing could be a so powerful bomb. I gave you the order to shoot at it.”

Tony looked at him, in those blue and serious eyes. “You did?” he finally managed to ask. 

“I did.” 

“Everyone thought that I killed half of the team.” 

“You didn’t.” 

“I thought that I killed you as well...” 

“You didn’t. I- I don’t know what Maria was thinking, but I’ll tell her what happened, don’t worry.” 

Tony nodded slowly, placing his hands over his face, elbows on his legs, taking a deep breath. 

Steve put a hand on his shoulder, unsure of what to do and feeling guilty anyway, “I’m sorry. I was trying to go back to the base, to contact someone of the SHIELD- I even tried to call you but no one answer.” 

“Because I was in a damn cell.” 

Steve took a breath, but managed only to repeat, “I’m sorry.” 

“ _I’m sorry_ ?” Tony looked up at him, angry, “I almost killed you, why you keep saying sorry? A damn bomb exploded on your face because of me, because with all my damn Tec I couldn’t make a scan of a bomb made by a stupid kid, so tell me why the hell you keep apologize to _me_?”

“Because you don’t have to.” 

Tony looked at him, trying not to yell even more at his sorry face. Or crying like a damn kid.

Steve breathed deeply and tightened the grip on him, winching at the pain on his bandaged hand, “Sorry it took me so long to come back.” 

Tony sent a still angry gaze at the door, then close his eyes, “Never again, Rogers. Never again.” 

“Never again.” Nodded Steve with a little smile on his lips. 

 

After an hour, Steve was already knocking at the Director’s door, still with his bandaged hand and dirty suit, but nothing and no one could make him go clean himself or check his injures yet, not before the talk he was determined to have soon as possible. 

Maria Hill looked away from the documents she was checking and saw the glare the Captain was already sending at her, “Captain. I am glad to see you safe and well. I would like to know how and why you-” 

“Iron Man, Tony Stark, is part of this team. Of my team. You and Fury wanted him in the team before all of us. I know that and I’m sure you know that as well, so how come that he was accused to be a murderer?” Steve was standing on the other side of the desk, expression hard like a stone. 

Maria left the pages, “Because at the eyes of everyone, he acted on his own decision, without thinking like he always do, and almost kill all his team. Including yourself.” 

“He’s reckless, not stupid. He knows what do to, sometimes even before I did, so he just- he just do it.” 

“Yeah, and that’s how we can lose the Avengers in one single hit. Good to know.” 

“I told him to shoot, it was my mistake. Me, Clint and Natasha, any of us thought that that thing could be a bomb.” Steve looked straight in her eyes, “Wanda was trying to open it but she was attacked and Tony saved her life. When I discovered that it was a bomb, I told him to shoot. I didn’t know how far he was or how strong the explosion could be.” He took a breath under the immobile stare of the Director, “I was worried that the safe could fall down on the street, so I made a choice. If you want to blame someone, blame me, not him.” 

Maria Hill breathed slowly, her back against the chair.

“I know that the _I’m still only a human_ excuse usually don’t apply to me, but-” 

“I’ve never put it that way.” She interrupt him, staring back at him, nervous.

Steve nodded a bit, almost, _almost_ , apologizing. 

She looked at him for a moment, then asked, “I guess I’ll have a talk with him again. He surely can’t wait to hear me apologize to him…” 

“Tony don’t want your apologizes.” Said Steve, “He want your trust. Like he had Fury’s.” 

Maria nodded slowly, “Fury’s trust wasn’t for granted, Captain, and for me will be the same. He’ll have to work for it.”

“He will. Just… next time, don’t run to arrest him accusing him to want all of us dead.” 

She nodded, then looked at his bandages, “How they managed to take you to the hospital?” 

“I was out for a bit. When I woke up, I was already fixed, but with an old man lying in the bed next to me, complaining about his hip and the fact that he and his wife aren’t young anymore.” 

Maria smiled a bit, “SHIELD really needs to be put on the right track again…” 

“And you’re the right person to do it.” 

She huffed a laugh, “You think?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“I hope so.” The Director looked at him and said, “You can go. Agent Romanov and Barton are back here. You can find them in the medic quarter.” 

Steve nodded and left, heading to the medic floor. Once there, he saw Tony talking with Vision, then the other left and the inventor stayed in front of a room, something like a big bag in one hand. 

Tony turned and looked at him, “Hey. Everything alright? I thought you and Hill had more to talk about… quick decisions seems to be kind of bad lately.” He said with his usual irony. 

_You were so scared that I could really be dead, because if I was…_ Steve thought, but just nodded at him.

“Ok, so… I’m not under arrest anymore?” 

“No. I told her that shoot at the safe was my decision, don’t worry about it. I'm still kind of surprised that you actually did like I said.” 

"Everyone was, even myself, that's why no one believed me. See what I get trying to be a good member of the team?" 

"Something like this won't happen again. You have my word on that." Steve said, staring inside the room with serious eyes.

Tony looked at him for a moment, then nodded and took a deep breath. He then pointed at the room with his chin, “Clint woke up for a moment before.” 

"That's good." Steve smiled a bit: Clint was sleeping in his bed and Wanda was also asleep on a sofa close to him, covered by a blanket. “He said something?” 

“That I’m an idiot and that he wanted chips.” 

Steve look back at him, then down at the bag. 

Tony follow his gaze, looking in the room again, blushing a bit, “Yeah, well… who am I to deny a dying man his last wish?” he said, moving away the big bag of chips.

“That’s really a big bag of chips.”

“Was the only one I could find.” 

“I’m sure it was.” 

“Shut up, you’re too old to be ironic.” 

Steve snorted a laugh, then said, “But not too old to eat some of those. Come on, Wanda is probably starving as well. Call Vision too.” 

“But Clint is…” 

“I’m sure he won’t mind to wake up… especially with a giant bag of chips waiting for him.” And he took the bag, entering the room.

Tony looked at him from the doorstep, while the Captain gently placed a hand on Wanda’s shoulder: she stared at him and then smiled, still half asleep, both talking in low voice but after a second Clint said, “It’s a bag of chips what I hear in my room?” 

Vision was back, standing next to Tony, "Agent Romanov is still sleeping. Doctor said should be better to let her rest for now..." then looking inside, “Oh. Chips.” He said, entering. 

Tony tried to say something, but just close his mouth in a little smile and pass a hand through his hair before join his team.  
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END

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
